


Confession

by Hyunjins_lipring



Series: Latching On [3]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Warning: homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 02:49:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19164286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyunjins_lipring/pseuds/Hyunjins_lipring
Summary: A long, dreadful silence filled the air. The tension was suffocating, and Changbin was afraid to look up. He wasn't certain he would be able to stomach seeing the disappointment in his parents’ eyes.





	Confession

“They're the sweetest person I've ever met. I just really love spending time with them,” Changbin declared as he sat across from his parents in the small booth. Earlier that day, he had asked them to meet him at their usual restaurant for dinner, claiming he had some good news to share. He hoped they would consider it ‘good news’ as well. 

“She sounds amazing,” his mother proclaimed with a delighted smile. “What's her name?”

Changbin’s gaze shifted downward, focusing on a shallow dent in the otherwise flawless wooden table. He wanted to be wrong, but Changbin had a feeling he was about to ruin his relationship with his parents. However, he couldn't keep lying to them. They deserved to know the truth about their son. 

“Um…” Exhaling shakily, Changbin braced himself for the worst. “His name is Felix.”

A long, dreadful silence filled the air. The tension was suffocating, and Changbin was afraid to look up. He wasn't certain he would be able to stomach seeing the disappointment in his parents’ eyes. 

His father was the first to speak. “/His/ name?” he asked calmly, which, to Changbin, was more terrifying than the angriest scream. 

“Changbin, are you dating… a boy?” his mother questioned. Changbin could hear the disgust in her voice. “Are you gay?”

Changbin felt the back of his neck heat up as he tried to form a coherent answer. “I don't know,” he admitted quietly. “He's the only boy I've ever had such strong feelings for--”

He heard a scoff come from his father’s direction. Changbin finally glanced up to see his father angrily looking away, avoiding eye contact. When Changbin looked over at his mother, his stomach dropped to the floor. 

“Is this my fault?” she asked, tears welling up in her eyes. “I thought I raised you right. What did I do wrong?”

“Mom, you didn't do anything wrong,” Changbin answered gently. “This has nothing to do with you and Dad.”

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, because his father quickly whipped his head around to look back at Changbin. “Nothing to do with us?” he asked incredulously, his voice becoming slightly louder. “This has everything to do with us. You have disrespected both me and your mother and brought shame to our family. How could you be so careless?”

It took every ounce of self-control in Changbin's body to keep himself from bursting into tears. “I didn't do this on purpose-- I just-- it's just who I am,” he stammered. Changbin wished he had a more eloquent way of explaining it, but his emotions were taking over. “Why does it matter if I'm dating someone the same gender as me?”

“Because it's a sin!” his mother exclaimed through her sobs. She gave Changbin a look of desperation, one that said ‘Why can't you just be normal?’ 

~ ~ ~ 

Changbin had left dinner early and taken an Uber home from the restaurant. The negative reaction from his parents was expected, but that didn't mean it hurt any less. The only thing worse than his father's furious, disgusted expression was the look of hopelessness and shame on his mother’s face. 

When Changbin walked through the front door of his apartment, he saw Jisung curled up on the couch, a fleece blanket wrapped around himself. Changbin slipped his shoes off and slowly strolled over to sit next to him, where Jisung repositioned the blanket to cover both of them. 

Resting his head on Jisung’s shoulder, Changbin turned his attention to the television, which was tuned into some trashy reality show about crazy stage moms. Any other day, he would've teased Jisung for his choice in television programs. But today, he was too emotionally exhausted, so he allowed his thoughts to be consumed by the two middle-aged women yelling at each other about whose child deserved a dance solo. However, the distraction was short-lived. 

“How was dinner?” Jisung asked cautiously after a few moments. 

The tears that had been building up over the past hour were now suddenly trailing down Changbin's cheeks, and he couldn't stop them. “They hate me,” he replied, his voice breaking. 

Jisung put his arm around Changbin's shoulders, allowing the older boy to silently cry into the neck of his sweater. Changbin felt guilty that Jisung had to deal with him like this, but his best friend’s touch was beyond comforting, so he didn't bother to move. 

“I'm sure they don't hate you,” Jisung responded. “They just need some time to be able to understand it all.”

Changbin finally sat up, wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his dress shirt. “I think I just need to go to bed,” he stated with a small sniffle. “Goodnight.”

~ ~ ~ 

After taking a long, steaming-hot shower, Changbin lied in bed on his stomach, feeling absolutely drained. He glanced over at the clock on the other side of the room; 11:47pm. Changbin considered calling Felix, but the boy was probably already asleep. 

Why did he ever think that telling his parents about his relationship was a good idea? What good could it have possibly done for anyone? Changbin's mother and father had constantly preached to him as a child about the importance of honesty, so why did he feel like the worst son in the whole world just for telling the truth? His parents were the traditional type, and they expected so much from him. Changbin always tried his best to do everything right for them, but this time, he had let them down. 

Changbin decided to give in and call Felix, reaching for his phone on the table next to his bed. He propped it against his pillow and opened up the video-chatting app. His boyfriend’s name was at the top of his recent-calls list, followed by three pink hearts. When Felix answered after the second ring, Changbin released the breath he didn't even realize he was holding. 

To say the least, Felix was a sight for sore eyes. His face was freshly washed, void of any makeup. His blond hair was slightly mussed, forming a golden halo around the top of his head. His eyes looked adorably sleepy, and the dim lighting in his bedroom cast a warm glow on his freckled skin. A tender smile graced his face, and Changbin swore he had never seen anything more beautiful. 

“Did I wake you up?” Changbin asked, hoping he didn't disturb the boy from a peaceful slumber. 

“No, I wasn't sleeping yet,” Felix mumbled. “How was your night?”

Changbin sighed heavily, unsure of where to begin. Perhaps he should have taken some time to collect his thoughts before giving Felix a call. 

Felix's smile was quickly replaced with a concerned frown once he noticed Changbin's distressed state. “Binnie, what's wrong?”

Clearing his throat, Changbin figured he should just start at the beginning. He explained to Felix everything that had happened that night, from his confession to his parents, to their heartbreaking response, to his tear-filled interaction with Jisung. 

“I let them down,” Changbin stated, holding back even more tears. His heart was racing, and he feared he wouldn't be able to keep his composure much longer. “I try so hard to be a good son, but now everything’s ruined.”

“You didn't let them down,” Felix said softly. “You did the right thing by telling them the truth. That makes you a good son. And I'm proud of you.”

With a few comforting words and a reassuring smile, Felix was able to pull Changbin back from the brink of hysteria. No one else in his life, not even Jisung, had that kind of power. Changbin couldn't have been more grateful to have Felix in his life, and he felt an overwhelming need to let the younger boy know how appreciated he was. 

“I love you,” Changbin blurted out, his voice just barely above a whisper. 

Felix stared at Changbin in surprise, his eyes round and lips parted. He didn't say anything for a long while, and Changbin wondered if maybe this wasn't the right time to profess his love. Telling Felix in person would have been ideal, but with their circumstances, video chat would have to do for now. 

A bright smile began to spread across Felix's face, and he let out a lighthearted giggle. “I love you, too,” he replied, his eyes shining. 

Something akin to fireworks burst inside Changbin's chest, and his breath caught in his throat. Felix loved him back, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. As the two of them exchanged sappy glances and adoring smiles, only one thought crossed Changbin’s mind: How could it be so wrong to love someone so perfect?

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The characters in this story in no way represent Changbin's actual parents. I know nothing about them.


End file.
